Six on trial over disabled woman's death

A trial has been ordered for six people accused of torturing a mentally disabled woman by forcing her to drink urine and detergent before stabbing her to death.

A Westmoreland County judge in the state of Pennsylvannia on Thursday ordered all six defendants accused in last month's slaying of 30-year-old Jennifer Daugherty held for trial on charges including homicide and kidnapping.

Prosecutors say the three men and three women also beat Daugherty, bound her in Christmas lights, and forced her write a suicide note before stabbing her to death and dumping her body in a school car park last month in Greensburg, about 50 kilometres outside of Pittsburgh.

Daugherty's stepfather says she had the mental abilities of a 12- to 14-year-old. Her body was found February 11.

Detectives said during a police interview Knight told them the trouble began when Ms Daughtery had hit on Smyrnes at an apartment in Greensburg, causing his girlfriend Marinucci and Knight's girlfriend Meidinger to get angry and slam her head into a bathroom wall.

Knight said he and others joined in on the beating, including Meidinger who stomped on Ms Daughterty's stomach and said: "now you know how you feel when a pregnant woman gets punched on the stomach".

His statement said Daughterty was fed sleeping pills and antibiotics, and when she complained that she wanted to go home, the group decided to kill her so she wouldn't tell anyone about what happened.

Knight said he stabbed her in the chest three times after Smyrnes got a knife and urged him to kill her.